Be still your turning soul
Dark eyes burning cold
What lies have I been told?
Tales from a distant shore
Our time has come today
Sharp thoughts
But nothing that I can say
There is no easy way
And I hear the voices call...

We're gonna get you
No matter where you turn

These iron bones
Once flown by drones
Now overthrown
Shall guide us home

This ending is begun
No time and gravity come undone
We'll sail into the sun
Tales from a distant shore
I watched your body die
No time to savor the long goodbye
Defective by design
And I hear the voices call...

We're gonna get you
No matter where you turn

These iron bones
Once flown by drones
Now overthrown
Please tell me why
You turn to stone
Your thoughts unknown
These iron bones
Shall never die

We're gonna get you
No matter where you turn
We're gonna get you
No matter where you burn

These iron bones
Once flown by drones
Now overthrown
Please tell me why
You turn to stone
Your thoughts unknown
These iron bones
Shall never die


Lyrics submitted by Sess

These Iron Bones song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

6 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    Since Joey doesn't remember what this song is about, Dan decided that it should be about Terminator 2. So there you have it.

    DeuceFreelyon August 22, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    haha, wasn't it Billy who decided that?

    Also, Joey remembers, I'm sure he just doesn't want to divulge such information. He probably wants people to try and figure it out themselves.

    Sesson August 30, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Maybe about a robot (a metaphor of course: often meaning a slave, a person who always does his part without questioning the orders he gets) that 'wakes up' and starts to think by himself? In that case 'iron bones' could mean how he is now stronger with his own free mind and how no one can take out his freedom. As the entire album (except for maybe Live Entertainment, which seems somehow an odd bird) is about endings, I figured this could be about the end of a passive, controlling society?

    Can't find a meaning for the "please tell me why / you turn to stone / your thoughts unknown", though.

    infinityontrialon September 20, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I personally think this song is about 3 itself, as a band, claiming victory over their past where they were held back by producers and such, and now are able to show their true sound and take the world by storm.

    The band is going to get you, no matter where you turn, because they are finally set loose to do what they do best. The iron bones of the band will never die because their music will be timelessly embedded in the hearts and minds of those who hear it. The band was once flown by drones, or controlled by suits who wouldn't let them do their own thing, but now the drones have been overthrown and the band is no longer held back. Yet, despite the band's maturing into their own sound now without being held back, they still fight for attention from the public because their sound is so indefinable and changes so often - "please tell me why you turn to stone" - Joey wants to know why so many people don't know how to respond to the music.

    Just me speculating.

    Sesson October 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    That fits perfectly. I can't figure anything out yet. :P

    Kasureon July 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think it's about the process of dying and the transition from physical being to spiritual being.

    Kasureon July 27, 2011   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.